Parenting, One Deep Breath
My seven year-old has a new hobby, collecting Smencils. If you are unfamiliar with Smencils, they are exactly what they sound like, pencils that smell, hence the Smencil. I guess this is a school fund-raiser and they sell for a dollar once a week in the school office during the morning recess. The kids are crazy about them, Azul included. They all buy them when they get a chance and compare the different designs and smells each one has. It seems to be building a community of presenting and sharing with each other.
This appears to be a fairly innocent hobby, it helps them explore their sense of smell and gives them a writing utensil as well. I have had the pleasure of participating in the act of breathing in these artificially enhanced pencils, and I think my favorite is Strawberry Cupcake. Azul’s favorite is Easter Bubble Gum (oh, yes, there are special holiday versions as well). He now has sixteen of these in his collection. He loves his Smencils!
Recently, we attended a workshop together and one of the tasks given to the kids was to create a nameplate out of firm paper and markers while the instructor went over handouts with the adults. The kids all got to work immediately, folding paper and choosing markers to create their one of a kind pieces of artwork. While my curious son was working on his, he immediately began to bring each open marker to his nose, take a deep breath and after finding some satisfaction with the smell he would continue with his project. I watched in a state of confusion. Why was he smelling the markers? And then holding his freshly colored nameplate up to his face and smelling that as well?
Eventually he turned to me with a blue uncapped marker in his hand, pointed to it and said, “Mmmmmm, blueberry.” I graciously accepted his offer and moved to smell the marker, trying not to let it touch my skin, I didn’t want to get marker on my nose and look like a paint huffer …
That’s when it dawned on me, these innocent Smencils, his new-found hobby and love of collecting something to call his own, is training my seven year-old to huff paint!
I could never take his beloved Smencils away, I remember him even saying it helped calm him down when he was angry, but what if he graduates from Easter Bubble Gum to Sharpies, and then to Elmer’s Glue, and then one day to Krylov Multipurpose spray paint! Oh, my baby’s face covered in paint with a dripping cloth in his hand …
“Smell it,” he continued, and he was right — it smelled like blueberry. As he returned to his work, I returned to the present and took a deep breath. Sometimes with parenting you just have to sit back and smell the Smencils.
Halloween Costume Safety
Halloween costume safety is always important, but so is having fun.
http://kasa.com/2015/10/19/parenting-411-halloween-costume-tips/
For Sale: 2009 Jetta TDI, fairly scandal-free until recently.
I have a confession to make, I am a driver of a 2009 Jetta TDI and embarrassed about it.
This is when you all say in unison, “Hello 2009 Jetta TDI driver.” And I give you a knowing nod.
Last week, soon after the controversy broke, I went into my local VW dealership, which slightly resembled a ghost town with that new car smell. I introduced myself and explained that I was concerned about my vehicle and asked what my options were at this point. The salesperson on duty kept his cool, asked me if I could wait just a second and then disappeared to the back. A second man quickly came out and shook my hand, I was obviously being pawned off to the General Manager. I repeated what I originally said to the salesperson and the manager took me into his office. After politely listening to his well-rehearsed lines, I told him I wanted to be proactive with my decision regarding this vehicle that is spewing forty times the allowable toxins in the air. I was told to just sit tight for now until Volkswagen made a decision on what they were going to do.
I responded by repeating what he said, “So your proactive advice is to just sit tight and wait?”
He then explained that although I had lost 50-60% of the value of my car in a short few weeks, if I wanted to purchase a new vehicle, VW would give me $2,000 in loyalty cash. I do recall laughing out loud at this point, and it was not the last time I did so during our conversation.
Next he tried to reassure me that Volkswagen diesel vehicles were safe, which I never questioned, and in high demand. Now this I questioned. He said he had a lot full of them he could sell today if allowed because the demand was so high, and that every salesperson had at least one customer they had turned away, who was interested in a TDI. This is when our conversation came to a cordial end.
Although I find his “in high demand” statement hard to believe, much like Fox Mulder from the X Files, I want to believe. If you are one of the masses in search of a vehicle which cannot pass an emission test (well it can pass thanks to the German engineering which kicks in just in time to allow for a false reading), I want to hear from you. According to my VW dealership you are out there, and I am looking for you. Please feel free to contact me. Thanks.
Carmelina Hart 